Adventures on the Lost Coast

Natural Rolls

On a roll of Natural 20, the result is to count as a 30.
On a roll of Natural 1, the result is to count as a -10.

Example 1
Kressle is trying to sneak past a particularly vigilant guard. She has a +7 bonus to Stealth. Making her roll, she gets a Natural 20! Her Stealth result is 30 + 7, for a total of 37. The guard, though vigilant, has little chance to spot her.

Example 2
Gil the Mighty is a 20th level Fighter. The tyrant of the ages, he often enjoys flaying peasants to prove his superiority. He has a +20 to hit with his normal, run-of-the-mill whip. Lashing out at the nearest low-life scum, he rolls a Natural 1. His to hit roll is -10 + 20, resulting in a 10. Despite having slip on some errant manure, he still manages to land a blow on the peasant, keeping his pride and reputation intact.

The idea here is to in theory eliminate the “20’s always hit” rule. In practice, a 30+ result will still result in a hit against all but the most exceptional of targets. However, in some cases even someone’s best, luckiest effort will not result in success.

The same idea applies to Natural 1s. A -10 + Bonus result is still likely to end up in failure for most rolls. However, this allows those exceptionally skilled or trained to succeed at simple tasks, even if its not their most stellar moment.